Lalu should apologise: Nitish

Accusing Lalu Prasad of misleading the nation on the issue of Railway profits during his tenure as minister, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Friday that the RJD leader had been "exposed" and should apologise to the country.

"From Prasad's claim of the Railways achieving a cash surplus of Rs 90,000 crore to (Railway Minister) Mamata's disclosure of cash surplus of around Rs 8,000 crore in hand after she took over charge at Rail Bhavan, the jugglery of figures in the budget with respect to the profits is amply evident," Kumar told reporters in Patna.

Kumar said that he had always wondered how a man who "ruined" Bihar for 15 years was "doing exceedingly well" on becoming the railway minister and receiving appreciation from even the prime minister.

Alleging that Prasad had "hoodwinked and misled" the nation and the people, Kumar, a former railway minister, said it was "the biggest-ever offence" committed by any public servant in office since Independence.

"Prasad owed an explanation to the nation and people," Kumar said, adding the RJD supremo should apologise to the nation.

"A person who earned laurels and sobriquets of being a management guru and was invited by several management institutions in India and abroad for lectures for hollow claims of the turnaround by the Railways stands exposed now," Kumar claimed.